What Percentage of People Are Transgender? [2024 Statistics]

We’ve gathered all facts on what percentage of people are transgender: how many trans people are in the US, the percentage of tranmen and transwomen, and more.

what percentage of people are transgender

LGBTQ people in the U.S. and around the world have more of a voice and impact than ever before in history. In this article, we take a look at the data behind a specific subset of the LGBTQ community: transgender people.

We’ve gathered all of the stats both globally and for the united states to help shed light on how many transgender people there are, what percentage of the population is transgender, and more. 

Top Transgender Population Statistics You Should Know:

  • An estimated 0.355% worldwide self-identify as transgender (355.1 self-identify as transgender per 100,000 people).
  • The United States has the highest estimated population of those who identify as transgender worldwide.
  • Youth ages 13 to 17 are significantly more likely to identify as transgender (1.4%) than adults ages 65 or older (0.3%).
  • 58% of all nonbinary LGBTQ adults are cisgender, and 42% are transgender.
  • 32.1% of the transgender adult population are nonbinary people (across sexual orientations).
  • Only 24 states explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing.

What Percentage of the World Population Is Transgender?

The percentage of transgender people varies significantly worldwide, which may be due to differences in data collection standards, certain populations being underrepresented when self-reporting, or a variety of other factors. Nevertheless, here’s what studies have found about the worldwide population of transgender people:

  • An estimated 0.355% worldwide self-identify as transgender (355.1 self-identify as transgender per 100,000 people). (Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2016)1
  • Less than 1% across 27 countries identify as transgender in the “Global Country Average” of transgender people.

Note: The “Global Country Average” reflects the average result for all the countries where the survey was conducted. This study was not adjusted for the population size of each country and may not represent a total result.

  • Countries surveyed are Germany, Chile, Argentina, Sweden, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Hungary, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, France, Great Britain, India, Turkey, Japan, China, Peru, Russia, United States, Belgium, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, Colombia, Poland, and South Africa.

    (IPSOS, 2021)2

  • Less than 0.6% are transgender worldwide, according to other studies.
    • This ranges from 0.19% to 0.52% in select regions.

      Regions:
      • Asia-Pacific: 0.3% of the adult population in Asia is transgender.
        • Between 9.0-9.5 million transgender people live in this region.
          (Healthy Policy Project, 2015)3
      • European Union: 0.3% of the population is transgender. 
        • About 1.5 million in the EU are transgender people.
          (Amnesty International, 2014)4
      • Canada: 0.19% of Canadians aged 15 and older living in a private household are transgender. 
        • About 59,460 Canadians identify as transgender.
          (Statistics Canada, 2022)5
      • United States: 0.52% of all adults aged 18 and older are transgender people.
        • An estimated 1,337,100 transgender people live in the U.S. 
          (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022a)6

How Many People Are Transgender in the United States?

The US population seems to have a higher percentage of transgender people than other regions, according to these studies. Here’s what the stats say about transgender people in the US:

  • How many people are transgender in the United States?
    • An estimated 0.52% of all adults ages 18 and older in the United States are those who identify as transgender as of 2022.
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022a)6
    • The United States has the highest estimated population of those who identify as transgender.
      • An estimated 1,337,100 transgender people live in the U.S aged 18 and older.
        This is the highest and latest available data on the transgender population in a country.
        (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022a)6

The Number of Transgender Women and Transgender Men:

  • An estimated 1 in 30,000 people is a transwoman. Transmen are estimated at 1 in every 100,000 people.
    (University of California San Francisco, 2019)7
  • Of the 1.3 million adults who identify as transgender in the United States:
    • 38.5% (515,200) are transgender women.
    • 35.9% (480,000) are transgender men.
    • 25.6% (341,800) reported they are gender non-conforming.
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8

Percentage of Transgender People by Age Group and Generation:

  • 0.6% of those ages 13 and older identify as transgender in the United States
    • Over 1.6 million adults (ages 18 and older) and youth (ages 13 to 17).
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • 0.5% of U.S. adults (about 1.3 million adults) identify as transgender.
    • 1.4% of youth aged 13-17 (about 300,000 youth) identify as transgender in the U.S.
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • Transgender individuals are younger on average than the U.S. population.
    • Youth ages 13 to 17 are significantly more likely to identify as transgender (1.4%) than adults ages 65 or older (0.3%).
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • Percent of each age group in the United States that identifies as transgender, 2022
    • Age 13 to 17:
      • 1.4%, 300,100 people
    • Age 18 to 24:
      • 1.3%, 398,900 people
    • Age 25 to 64:
      • 0.5%, 766,500 people
    • Age 65 and older:
      • 0.3%, 171,700 people
    • Total Age 13 and older:
      • 0.6%, 1,637,200 people
        (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • 46.8% of self-identified transgender people in the U.S. are 25 to 64 years old. (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • Of those who identify as transgender and among the U.S. population (ages 13 and older), they are:
    • Age 13 to 17: 18.3%
    • Age 18 to 24: 24.4%
    • Age 25 to 64: 46.8%
    • Age 65 and older: 10.5%
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8
  • Younger generations have more transgender people:
    • Generation Z: 2.1% self-identified as transgender
    • Millennials: 1.0% self-identified as transgender
    • Generation X: 0.6% self-identified as transgender
    • Baby boomers: 0.1% self-identified as transgender
    • Traditionalists (aka the Silent Generation): 0.2% self-identified as transgender
      (Gallup, 2022)9

Gender Identity Among Transgender People

Transgender people frequently don’t conform to specific gender identities, according to the data:

  • 58% of all non-binary LGBTQ adults are cisgender, and 42% are transgender.
    (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2021a)10
  • Among non-binary LGBTQ adults:
    • 42% identify as transgender.
    • 39% identify as cis LBQ (Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer)
    • 19% identify as cisgender GBQ (Gay, Bisexual, and Queer)
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2021a)10
  • 32.1% of the transgender adult population are nonbinary people (across sexual orientations).
    (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2021b)11
  • 50% of youth who identified as non-binary also identified as transgender.
    (The Trevor Project, 2021)12

U.S. Regions and States Percentage of Transgender People

Are transgender people equally distributed across the U.S.? According to the data, it’s pretty close!

  • Regional estimates of those who identify as transgender in the United States, ages 13 and older:
    • Western U.S.: 0.54%, 328,500 people
    • Midwest: 0.44%, 231,2000 people
    • South: 0.54%, 523,600 people
    • Northeast: 0.57%, 253,800 people
      (Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8

  • State-level estimates of those who identify as transgender in the U.S. population (ages 13 and older)
    In order of highest percentage to lowest:
    • District of Columbia: 0.92%. 5.300 people
    • North Carolina: 0.87%. 71.300 people
    • Delaware: 0.82%. 6.300 people
    • Arizona: 0.73%. 41.200 people
    • Alaska: 0.70%. 328.500 people
    • Arkansas: 0.70%. 16.200 people
    • Hawaii: 0.70%. 7.800 people
    • Massachusetts: 0.67%. 37.100 people
    • New Mexico: 0.67%. 10.900 people
    • Rhode Island: 0.66%. 5.700 people
    • Oklahoma: 0.63%. 18.900 people
    • New Jersey: 0.62%. 43.100 people
    • Georgia: 0.60%. 48.700 people
    • Colorado: 0.60%. 27.000 people
    • Minnesota: 0.60%. 26.000 people
    • Utah: 0.60%. 13.700 people
    • Oregon: 0.59%. 19.900 people
    • New Hampshire: 0.57%. 6.300 people
    • Washington: 0.56%. 33.300 people
    • Kansas: 0.56%. 12.400 people
    • Florida: 0.55%. 94.900 people
    • Pennsylvania: 0.55%. 56.000 people
    • Connecticut: 0.54%. 15.300 people
    • New York: 0.53%. 81.800 people
    • Vermont: 0.53%. 2.700 people
    • Maine: 0.53%. 5.900 people
    • Tennessee: 0.52%. 27.700 people
    • Idaho: 0.52%. 7.000 people
    • Ohio: 0.51: 46.500 people
    • Maryland: 0.51%. 24.000 people
    • Kentucky: 0.51%. 17.700 people
    • Indiana: 0.50%. 25.800 people
    • California: 0.49%. 150.100 people
    • Alabama: 0.48%. 18.400 people
    • Wyoming: 0.48%. 2.100 people
    • Virginia: 0.47%. 31.400 people
    • South Carolina: 0.47%. 19.000 people
    • Nebraska: 0.45%. 6.600 people
    • Illinois: 0.44%. 43.400 people
    • Louisiana: 0.44%. 15.700 people
    • South Dakota: 0.44%. 2.900 people
    • Texas: 0.43%. 92.900 people
    • North Dakota: 0.43%. 2.500 people
    • Michigan: 0.42%. 33.000 people
    • Mississippi: 0.42%. 9.600 people
    • Montana: 0.41%. 3.400 people
    • West Virginia: 0.40% — 5.700 people
    • Wisconsin: 0.34%. 15.500 people
    • Nevada: 0.34%. 8.100 people
    • Iowa: 0.29%. 7.100 people
    • Missouri: 0.20%. 9.500 people

(Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b)8


Laws That Protect Transgender People in the United States

Protecting people’s rights to healthcare, housing, public accommodations, and lending is important, regardless of gender identity. However, only a handful of states currently have laws protecting transgender people from discrimination in these areas:

Health Benefits

The following states have state laws that prohibit private health insurance discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • Oregon
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022a)13


These States and U.S. Territories do not ban best-practice medical care for transgender youth:

  • States:
    • Alaska
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • U.S. Territories:
    • American Samoa
    • Guam
    • Northern Mariana Islands
    • Puerto Rico
    • U.S. Virgin Islands

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022b)14


The following States and Territories have Medicaid policies that explicitly cover health care related to gender transition for transgender:

  • States:
    • Alaska
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Montana
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • North Dakota
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
    • Washington
    • Wisconsin
  • Territories:
    • Puerto Rico

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022c)15


These states have state laws or administrative policies which provide transgender state employees access to transgender and transition-related healthcare through their employmenthealth benefits:

  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022d)16


Housing

These states have state laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022e)17


Public Accommodations:

These states have state laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in public accommodations:

  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022f)18


Credit and Lending

These states have state laws that explicitly prohibit discrimination in credit and lending based on sexual orientation and gender identity:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington

(Movement Advancement Project, 2022g)19


Conclusion

Based on these studies, the population of transgender people is quite small when compared with other demographics, consisting of less than 1% of the population worldwide. Just 0.6% of the population of the U.S. is transgender, and less than half of the states explicitly prohibit discrimination against people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. 

Footnotes

  1. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2016. A study of 32 studies about transgender people
  2. IPSOS, 2021. A survey of 19,069 online participants
  3. Healthy Policy Project, 2015. A report of transgender people and communities in Asia.
  4. Amnesty International, 2014. A report on the number of transgender people in the European Union.
  5. Statistics Canada, 2022. A census data of Canadian transgender and non-binary people.
  6. Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022a. A study of 2,079,892 American transgender people in the United States. Table 5.
  7. University of California San Francisco, 2019. A study on the transgender population worldwide.
  8. Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2022b. A study of 2,079,892 American transgender people in the United States.
  9. Gallup, 2022. A study of 12,416 American adults aged 18 and older.
  10. Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2021a. A study of 164 nonbinary LGBTQ adults of two national surveys of LGBTQ adults.
  11. Williams Institute, School of Law, UCLA, 2021b. A study of 164 nonbinary LGBTQ adults of two national surveys of LGBTQ adults.
  12. The Trevor Project, 2021. A study of 8,998 American nonbinary respondents.
  13. Movement Advancement Project, 2022a. Nondiscrimination in Private Insurance and Bans on Transgender Exclusions.
  14. Movement Advancement Project, 2022b. Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth.
  15. Movement Advancement Project, 2022c. Medicaid Coverage for Transgender-Related Care.
  16. Movement Advancement Project, 2022d. State Employee Coverage for Transition-Related Care.
  17. Movement Advancement Project, 2022e. State Nondiscrimination Laws: Housing.
  18. Movement Advancement Project, 2022f. State Nondiscrimination Laws: Public Accommodations.
  19. Movement Advancement Project, 2022g. State Nondiscrimination Laws: Credit and Lending.
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Dainis Graveris

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